Bella's Side
by JollyFray
Summary: Bella is pregnant and has been shipped off 2 Florida 2 live with her mother by her enraged father. He thinks she's better off away from Forks. And so does Edward. But is she really safe? Or is there a deadly threat closer than they all think? New summary.
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer: O**ne look at this piece of writing, and you can tell I'm not Stephanie Meyer, so I guess I can't claim I am.

I never pictured myself as someone who is easily pushed around. But then again, I never pictured myself getting pregnant in high school either. As if my life wasn't complicated enough with the deranged phsycopath Victoria just recently deceased and all, someone just had to throw in a half-vampire-half-human baby into the mix. And to make things worse, I'm on a plane to Florida that Charlie forced me on and Edward doesn't know about his father-to-be status. Oh yeah. Whoever's holding the reigns to my life is seriously twisted and in need of therapuetic help.

I remember it like it was yesterday. Probably because it was. I was puking my guts out into the toilet, and Charlie happened to hear and came to check on me. While staring at my supper from the night before, it dawned on me. Oh. Shit. I'm pregnant.

When I looked up into Charlie's face, I could see that he had come to the same conclusion as me. I believe the saying goes, 'and then, all hell broke loose,' and that's exactly what happened.

Charlie yanked me up by my arm, and steered me to my room, where he pulled my suitcase out from under the bed and immediately started throwing my clothes into it. I didn't even have time to react.

Two hours later I was standing in the airport terminal, permanetly attached to Charlie, checking flight times. And I was out of luck. A plane was scheduled to leave for Florida in forty-five minutes.

Charlie raced to a desk, dragging me behind him, and asked a lady with a bun on the top of her head how he could get me on that plane. Ironically enough, she said we were in luck, there was one seat left, and that it was in first class.

And so here I was, sitting in a comfortable leather seat, with plenty of leg room, crying my eyes out, and trying to convince the attendant that I was, indeed, alright. Through this whole eventful day, I had not once protested against Charlie. I had let him do with me what he wanted, and now I was headed hundreds of miles away from my family, and my love.

The only explanation I could come up with as to why I had been so cooperative was that I was scared. I didn't want to have to face Edward and the rest of the family. I didn't want to tell them that I was pregnant with God-knows-what. I didn't want to tell them that I had no intention of keeping this baby.

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Hope you like it! More soon! 


	2. This Is Supposed To Be Home?

**Disclaimer-**Not Mine!

After five long hours of cramped bathrooms and crying babies, the plane landed. I was home. And my mother, who was fully briefed on my situation by Charlie, was standing at the gate. Waiting for me. And looking very pissed I might add. This was not good. 

When I finally made it through the crowd, and stood in front of her she didn't say anything, just turned and started walking. It was obvious I was supposed to follow her. This really wasn't good.

The car ride was long, hot, and excruciating. It was also quiet. Very, _very, _quiet. Every now and then Renee would give me a sidelong glance, then stare at the road. She wasn't even listening to her Tim McGraw CD. This was definitely NOT good.

"How could you?" I barely heard it, she spoke so low.

"How could I what, mother?" I could hear the ice in my own voice.

"Oh, don't start with me young lady," she huffed. "How could you go and get yourself _pregnant _Bella? Your smarter than that and you know it!"

She took a deep breath and I took my chance. "First of all, it's very simple how I got myself pregnant," I said calmly. "It's called sex, and I did it. Secondly, I didn't mean for it to happen. It just did."

"It just did." her voice shook. "It just did! My God Bella! Did you even use protection?"

"Nope."

"Oh, okay," she said sarcastically. "So you just thought that your boyfriends soldiers would magically disappear?"

I hung my head. I couldn't tell her yes. That both Edward and me had thought something similar to that would happen. Edward wasn't supposed to be able to get me pregnant. We had gone to Carlisle first to make sure, and he had said we wouldn't need condoms the pill, or any other form of birth control. I remember that conversation, because Emmett had managed to eaves-drop and teased us about it for days.

"Well?" Renee shouted, getting impatient with my lack of answers. "What were you thinking?!"

"I wasn't." If only she knew how much I did think. About everything.

Before it happened, I couldn't stop thinking. my mind would race through all of the possibilities. What could go wrong, or right. I know Edward was in the same state as I was in. I would catch him pacing, or just staring at me with a curious look in his eyes. Soon we were both impossible. Both keyed up with our sexual frustration. Finally, Emmett had snapped yelling, "why don't you to just hurry up and do it already! You're driving me nuts!" Two hours later, we lay tangled in the sheets on Edwards' bed, too exhausted to move. Well, me anyway. Edward can't get exhausted. Two weeks later, I had started throwing up early in the morning.

I looked at my mothers lined face. I had let her down and I knew it. She always wanted the best for me, and now I sat next to her, knocked up. Life couldn't get any crueler.

We turned onto a cracked gravel road. Tiny rivers of water wound their way down ditches on both sides, indicating recent rain. I couldn't stop staring at the muddy water. It was better than seeing her angry face.

She sighed as we pulled into a driveway with a small brick house sitting in front of it. "We're here." She got out of the car and slammed the door. I sat and stared at the tiny, plain house. It had two windows on either side of the ornate glass door, lace curtains drawn closed. The gutter was bent as if a tree had fallen into it. Green shrubs lined the street, which was filled with similar-looking houses.

"Bella!" My mother's muffled voice carried through the car to me. "Are you going to get out, or sit there like a knot on a log?" Well if you must know... Shut up before you get yourself into even more trouble. Just get out of the car. Stay on her good side. Just, go with the flow. I could handle that. Right? "Bella!" At this rate, I would be strangling Renee before sunset.

I stepped out into the muggy air. The rain made the air ten times as humid as it had been at the airport. I could feel my hair frizzing up. Ugh. At least there was no one here to see my freaky Einstein hair. At least not anyone I knew.

Inside, the house was just as plain as the outside. Wood paneling lined the walls, and pictures were nailed randomly to them. The carpet was a hideous orange, and the couch set was a clashing hunter green. They walked into the kitchen. It was painted a bright yellow. God, this house was horrible. How could Renee stand this? It looked as if someone had projectile vomited all over the walls and furniture. A few seconds later she answered my question.

"Phil doesn't make much at his coaching job. But we're planning on renovating as soon as we have the money." Just as she finished, Phil walked into the kitchen, carrying the sports section of the paper.

"Bella! Your finally here! It's about time! How long was your flight?" Overly enthusiastic as always, Phil pulled me into a hug. Not as bone-crushing as Emmett's, but enough to make me fear, just a little, for my baby's life.

"Long," I replied. Hey, no one said I had to be polite.

"Well." Phil laughed nervously. "Why don't we go out to dinner. We don't really have that much in the fridge at the moment."

"That sounds wonderful," Renee said, faking a cheerful tone.

"Yeah," bored, perfect for teenagers tone, "sounds great." False smile in place. Okay, sorry if I'm being bitchy, but I'm kinda pissed right now. Renee gave me a nasty look that said 'your gonna get it.' _Well, bring it on. _I was prepared for anything. I mean, I was already pregnant. Not much else could scare me.

The drive to the restaurant was quiet and awkward. We pulled into the parking lot of a chinese buffet. I had noticed three on the way here. Florida really loved their sushi. Of course, pregnant women couldn't eat sushi on account of the rawness of it. Yay me.

We walked into the overheated lobby, and immediately, the aroma of fried squid and pig ear, started to make my stomach turn. I turned to run out of the double doors so I didn't turn the tiled floor into a remake of Renee's living room. Just as I was about to reach the sweet, fresh air, Renee grabbed my arm and roughly yanked me back, and hissed, "I don't know what you think your doing, but you will sit down to dinner with us, and you will be nice."

Two seconds after she finished her little rant, colorful puke flew from my mouth. Right on to the poor waitress waiting to show us to our seats. Damn. Renee looked furious, and Phil looked like he was about to be sick himself. Well, I don't know what she had expected. I was pregnant, I was allowed to blow chunks when I smelled something chunk-worthy. I hadn't read the mommy handbook just yet, but I expected that to be written in bold letters on the front page. It was a known fact after all.

After Renee apologized profusely, then made me apologize profusely, we headed back to the car, and towards another long and awkward silent drive. Renee stomped into the house and went straight into her and Phil's bedroom, slamming the door.

"W-well," Phil stammered, "I guess I should show you to your room."

"Yeah." The evenings events had only pissed me off even more. And bitchy Bella was not shy. "That would be good."

Like the rest of the house, my room was small. Renee had obviously NOT outdone herself in cleaning my room. A layer of dust covered everything in sight and I immediately started sneezing.

"Uh, sorry about the dust. I can give it a quick clean now so you aren't sneezing all night." Phil started to move into the room.

"No. I'm fine," I said as I pushed him back into the hall. "Goodnight." I slammed the door on his face.

Bitchy, pregnant Bella-1

Obnoxious, do-gooder Phil-0

Oh, Yeah.

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**Okay, if your wondering 'bout the pig ear thing, I'll explain. My dad once got something off of a chinese buffet and didn't know what it was. When he was almost done eating it, I asked the waitress what it was and she said it was pork ear. I think my dad just about threw up. It was hilarious. **


	3. Chocolate Cake and Ice Cream

**Disclaimer: Same as before. I don't own a thing.**

**A/N: I don't care if you don't like my story line because Edward got Bella pregnant and it's impossible. I already know. This is for mine and whoever else likes the story's enjoyment. Please, keep your comments to yourself, unless you have some useful criticism to give me. **

**-Ande**

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I don't remember falling asleep. All I know, is I woke up and it was sunny outside. Not a cloud in the sky. It didn't even look like it had rained yesterday. This was going to take some getting used to. 

I looked at the clock on my nightstand, it read 8:23. In Forks, it would still be moderately dark at this time in the morning. My father had sent me off to live in hell. Where the sun goes down too early and rises the same way. There was no way I was getting up. So I laid there, staring at my ceiling.

The first thing I noticed was that I was going to have to clean today. Cobwebs were everywhere. Luckily, I didn't see any spiders. If I had, I would have been running out of the house in my Donald Duck pj's, and I wouldn't care who the hell saw me. Other than that though, the ceiling was fairly clean. Great. Just what I always wanted. A clean ceiling.

I heard movement in the hall, and on reflex, threw the covers over my head and pretended to be asleep. The door opened, and I imagined Renee sticking her head in to check on me, then I heard it shut.

What was I going to do? No, not about Renee being nosy. About the baby. There was really no way to stop Renee's nosiness. I had learned that the hard way. You had to trick her into stopping. Like I did the time me and Edward came to visit. Edward. The hole in my chest I thought to be gone grew bigger. I couldn't think about him, it only brought me pain. But I couldn't stop. He was my heroin.

I rolled onto my side and stared at the pink wall. Yep, my walls were pink. What could I do? What was there to do?

There was always abortion. I was starting to feel a little squeamish about this option. I am totally against abortion unless your life depended on it. I couldn't kill an innocent baby. Even if it was going to be vampirish. And anyways, I couldn't kill Edward's baby. The hole gnawed at my chest.

Okay, second option, adoption. Out. No one was going to want a baby who likes blood better than milk. Besides, I couldn't just give Edward's baby away. If the hole grew any bigger, I was afraid it would swallow me whole.

There was only one option left. But I was afraid to make that choice. Keeping the baby was too scary of an option. I couldn't take care of a baby. Could I? I mean, keeping the baby was like eating chocolate cake. Tempting and really unhealthy for me.

Ugh. This was just too hard. Why didn't anyone tell me? Why didn't Carlisle know I could get pregnant?! He was a doctor! It was his job to know these things!

I was out of options. There was nothing left for me to choose from. There was no way I was going to throw my baby in the trash can just to get out of choosing. And then I realized, I had grown attached. Even before I knew it. It was _my baby_. Damn.

"Um, Bella?" There was a knock on my door, and Phil stuck his head in. "Would you like to go get some ice cream?"

"It's nine o'clock in the morning Phil." Not exactly the best time to go for ice cream. My stomach growled. Well, if it insists. "Sure. Give me a minute to get ready." He nodded and retreated into the living room.

It took me all of three minutes to get dressed. There was no reason for me to make myself look nice. I had no one to impress.

We said goodbye to Renee and started walking to the park a few blocks away from the house. I couldn't believe it. It was like eighty degrees outside. No wonder Phil had wanted ice cream. It was still mid-morning and it was scorching. It looked like I was going to be staying inside a lot.

"I thought ice cream would make you feel better," Phil said. "You know, after last night." _No, I had already forgotten up-chucking in your favorite restaurant that you can never go back to again._ I really wasn't in the mood for conversation, so I kept quiet.

It didn't seem to bother Phil as much as it would have bothered Renee. I liked that about him. He knew when to shut up. Jeez, these mood swings are killing me. I used to be nice. In fact, I hardly remembered kind Bella at all these days.

When we got to the ice cream vender, there was already a line so we had to wait for a little while. But it was worth it. Turns out mint chocolate chip was exactly what the baby ordered. Of course, with the heat and all, we had to hurry up and eat them so they wouldn't melt, and they were gone before we got back to the house.

We walked into the house and immediately crashed on the over-stuffed couch. Phil turned on the game, and I curled up to take a nap.

Then, "Bella! Get up! I'm taking you to the doctor!"

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**Okay, this was a filler chapter, obviously. The next chapter will be much more exciting. You'll find out what Bella chooses to do with the baby!**

**Just to keep you in suspense, the next chapter will be titled Red-Headed Heart Attack!**


	4. Red Headed Heart Attack

**Disclaimer: Same as before. I don't own a thing.**

**A/N: I hate it when people post a note and make you think it's a chapter when really it's not, don't you? So I promise I will try my hardest to never do that. On with my note to you all. To Insanity's Partner, love the idea. I agree with you, it would be funny. I'm seriously considering writing a sequel to Bella's Side, but only after I finish one of the stories I'm currently working on. As for the angst, trust me, there will be plenty to go around once the story really gets going. Bella is going to have a hell of a time in Florida. I almost feel sorry for her. I'm evil, I know. **

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Renee was obviously in a better mood today. She was singing along to her Tim McGraw CD, and drumming the beat on the steering wheel. I had expected the rest of this small town to look like Renee's neighborhood, but as it turns out, we just in the poor section. 

Instead of rundown homes with brown lawns and hand-me-down clothed children, there were two story Victorian houses with lush green grass and designer-wearing snobs. While the rich side of town looked as if it came right out of a painting, it had no personality, which our side had plenty of. Even the fancy sports cars and brand new 2008 Escalades with their bright colors were dreary.

We pulled in front of a building with the entire front wall made out of glass. It was a small practice, compared to the other doctor's offices lining the sidewalk. I was glad about that. The painted-on sign read 'The offices of Dr. Pill and Dr. Chip'. You have got to be kidding me. What has the world come to?

We walked into the waiting room, and were immediately told to sit and wait. We sat side by side on a wicker couch, along with a very pregnant woman doing the Lamaze breathing. I hoped she wasn't going into labor.

The first half-hour, we sat in silence, both Renee and me getting more ticked-off by the minute. The Lamaze woman had gone to the bathroom twenty minutes ago, and I was really worried about her. Even if I didn't know her name, I wouldn't want to be in her situation. After sitting next to her for two minutes I had asked if she was alright and she had confirmed my fears, saying no, she was in labor. When I asked her why she wasn't at the hospital she said they had sent her home because the baby wasn't coming any time soon. What a bunch of bullshit. I could only hope she had run into one of the doctor's on her way.

Now I sat beside Renee, who was tapping her foot on the linoleum floor. Ugh, would they ever call my name? They're doctor's, they should know not to keep a pregnant teenager and her mother waiting. It's just bad mojo. The teenager is already scared enough and the mother is already pissed enough. Teenage pregnancy's are known to bring out the worst in people. Don't egg them on.

"So." Renee looked at me as she crossed her legs. "What are you planning on doing when the baby gets here?"

"What do you mean, 'when the baby gets here'?" I suddenly found the pattern on the floor to be very interesting. White square, black square, white square, black square. And on, and on, and on.

"Don't tell me you don't plan on bringing this baby into the world." She looked at me as if I had grown two heads. "Bella," her voice was stiff, "you are not aborting this baby."

"I believe that is my choice," I enunciated each word.

That didn't sit well with her. "Bella. If you were mature enough to get pregnant then you are mature enough to go through labor."

I heard someone mutter 'hear, hear,' and looked around to see a fortyish blond woman sitting next to a teenage girl who looked just like her, obviously pregnant.

"Listen lady." Another pregnancy hormone kicking in, survival. "I don't need your input. Mind your own damn business."

"Hear, hear!" The woman's daughter raised her fist in the air.

I couldn't help but laugh. The woman looked like she was going to croak. Go pregnant teenagers!!!

"Bella!" my mother scolded. "Apologize right now!"

Ummm, can you say...no? Well I sure as hell can. Just as I was about to earn a slap in the face for defying my mother, a nurse came in and called a name, which turned out to be the blond girl.

"Your apologizing when they get back," my mothers voice was like stone.

"Sure thing," I said sarcastically.

"Your not aborting it. And that's final."

I turned and glared at her. "You can't force me you know. It's my decision." All of my other options weren't possible but I couldn't tell her that. She wouldn't believe me.

"You are going to have this baby Bella, and then you are giving it up for adoption!" she screamed, causing everyone in the room to stare at us.

"I can't give it up for adoption, mom!" How could I make her understand? I couldn't just say, 'because it's dad is a vampire'. She'd use it as an excuse to put me in the loony bin and do whatever she wanted with the baby.

"And why not?!" She got a wild look in her eyes. "Because your so attached to it? Adoption is better than abortion Bella!"

"In this case it is!" I shrieked. I was beginning to tear up I was so angry, and I didn't want anyone to see me crying.

"How is abortion _ever_ any better?!" She was starting to cry, too. Guess I know where I get it from.

"I c-can't t-tell you!" Tears were streaming down my face.

"Why not?!"

"Because I just can't!" I screamed. Renee sat there stunned, as did everyone else in the room. The nurse came in, unaware of what had just transpired, and called out my name.

I stood up and walked jerkily towards the nurse. She led me and Renee, who was following, to a room with one of those big uncomfortable plastic beds with the noisy paper laid on top of it.

"Please take off your clothes and put on the gown," she said in a disinterested voice, indicating the paper gown on the bed.

"Well, since you asked nicely." She gave me the I've-had-a-long-day-and-I-don't-give-a-shit-about-you look. Hah. She thought her day had been long.

Once I'd stripped down to my undies I pulled the paper dress over my head and took a seat on the bed. I locked eyes with Renee, and we both looked away quickly. After ten minutes of awkward silence, the doctor finally showed up.

"Well hello Bella! How are you today?" he said in a fake cheery tone. As if that would make me or my mother forget the hour-long wait we just went through.

"Just peachy," I replied, dryly. "And you?"

"Oh, just fine myself." _I'll bet you are you perverted old-_

"We just wanted to make sure Bella was alright," my mother told the doctor.

"Oh, yes, of course." He walked over and sat on a chair in front of the bed. "Bella if you could please lay down, we'll get this show on the road."

Ugh. I was not too comfortable with this. I was really wishing it was a doctor I knew rather than this old geezer. But my doctor didn't miraculously change, and I found out the true meaning of discomfort. It was a very unwanted feeling, having a complete stranger poking around down there.

After he was done he stepped out of the room while I changed then came back in. "Your going to be fine Bella. Do you have any questions for me_?" Can I get a new doctor?_

"Um, actually," I said, "I want to get an abor-"

"Bella!" Renee interrupted me. "Why don't you go into the waiting room while I talk to the doctor. It'll only be a few minutes."

When I didn't move she said in a stern voice, "now."

Not wanting to get onto another emotional roller-coaster today I left the room, telling myself I could do it later. It still didn't stop me from getting pissed though. On the way back to the waiting room, I had worked myself up so much I couldn't see straight. Why couldn't she just accept my decision?!

I opened the door to the lobby and bumped into someone. When I looked up to see who it was, all I could make out from the glare of the sun was a tall figure with flaming red hair. It wasn't possible. The words raced through my mind. Victoria was supposed to be dead.

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**Ah, another cliff-hanger. **

**And just so you know, it's been scientifically proven that the more reviews recieved, the faster I can write.**


	5. Decisions

**Disclaimer: I just found out that I don't own Twilight or New Moon or Eclipse. This is the worst day of my life. :- )**

I was just working up a good scream, not that it would make that big of a difference. Victoria would just kill me anyways, and probably every other human in the overcrowded lobby. I was just happy that I couldn't see her glaring red eyes from the glare of the sun.

Then it hit me. She wasn't a vampire. I don't know how I knew, I just did. I wasn't going to die. Not today anyway. The figure shifted in front of the sun and I got my first glimpse of a young girl, about my age, who was about three months pregnant, with flaming red hair that looked impossible to tame. Her eyes were a bright green, definitely not a vampire. I let out the breath I had been holding.

"Oh my gosh! I'm so _so _sorry! I bump into everyone with this thing!" she exclaimed, indicating her enlarged middle.

"Oh, it's fine! Really I'm okay." I was just relieved that it hadn't been Victoria about to attempt a mass murder of pregnant women.

"Um, would you mind sitting with me?" she asked uncertainly. "It's just, I'm here by myself."

"Sure, I wouldn't mind." It was as if bitchy Bella had stepped back to let the real Bella have a go at the wheel. I was being nice. It could have been my overwhelming need for a friend who was going through the same thing I was. Or it could have been the urge to piss my mother off by befriending another pregnant teen. I would never know. Either way, I did need a friend. And right in front of me was the perfect specimen.

We walked over to the same wicker couch me and Renee had previously inhabited and sat. "I'm Aurora by the way. It's nice to meet you."

"I'm Bella. It's nice to meet you, too." I responded mechanically. "So where are your parents?"

"Oh well my dad's in rehab, again, and my mom is probably at home. Not sure though. Your's?"

"Uh..." She had caught me off guard with her honest answer. " My dad's in Washington and mom's talking to the doctor right now. I'm, um, sorry about your dad," I said awkwardly.

"Don't be. He's an abusive bastard. Glad to be rid of him honestly," she said nonchalantly. She bent over and picked up a 'Mommy and Me' magazine and started flipping through it.

I was speechless for a minute. "So, do you know if it's a boy or a girl yet?" I asked, trying to find a lighter subject. This one was depressing me.

"Girl." She went back to flipping through the pages of the magazine. "I was hoping for a boy, but whatever. A baby's a baby, right?"

"Uh, yeah." Did she really think so little of it?

She threw the magazine back onto the coffee table. "I know what your thinking, but you see, I have to distance myself from it. I'm giving her up for adoption. I want her to have a better life than me." She sat back against the cushions and let out a long breath, relaxing. "Besides, I want to go to college and be a doctor." She held up her hand and waved it as she said, "Dr. Aurora Stevenson."

"Cool." I'll admit that I was kinda jealous that she could put the baby up for adoption. Stupid vampire genes, I thought.

"So are you gonna keep yours?"

"No!" I yelled. Then quietly, "I can't. I just can't."

"Ohhhh, I get it," she said. "You don't want to be reminded of the dad, do you?"

"No, I love Edward," I blurted out. Oops.

"Edward? Old name. But if you love him, why don't you want to keep the baby? And where is he? Is it that he doesn't want the kid, cuz if that's the case then leed me to him and I'll whip his ass. I just hate guys that love you while they're getting some then leave you when the responsible part of the relationship comes knocking. Bastards, all of them." She shook her head.

"No, Edward's not like that. Actually, he would have been ecstatic." I lowered my gaze to the floor.

"Would have been. Are you telling me that you have good, responsible man and you haven't even told him your pregnant?" She looked at me like I was insane. "Where is he?"

"In Washington. That's where I used to live." For some reason, she made me feel like a four-year-old being caught stealing a cookie.

"Then why in the hell are you down here in Florida?" she wanted to know.

"Well, I was forced kinda." I didn't even try to defend myself from this person I hardly knew.

"What does 'forced kinda' mean?"

"Well," I was starting to tear up again. "I didn't really want to leave."

"You didn't really want to leave." She stared at me. The she exploded. "What the fuck is that supposed to mean?! You didn't want to leave or you did want to leave?! It's as simple as that!"

"No it's not!" I shouted back. Tears were streaming down my cheeks. "I was scared ok?! I didn't know what to do!" I broke down and started bawling. Next thing I knew, Aurora had wrapped her arms around me and was rocking me back and forth. After awhile, I quieted.

"It's ok Bella. I understand. God, I remember how it felt. I remember that fear Bella. But you've got to face it." She lifted my head up so she could look at me. "You have to tell him." I was shaking my head before she finished speaking.

"I can't," I whispered.

"Yes you can," she said sternly. "You have to. Do you expect to just have the baby here then go back to Washington and pretend like nothing happened. I think he's going to notice a baby, Bella. Unless he's a stoner." She got a disgusted look on her face.

"He won't."

"Won't what?"

"Notice the baby."

"I hate to break it to you babe, but even stoners know the difference between an infant and a duffel bag. Surprisingly."

"There won't be a baby for him to see."

She got a confused look on her face. "Explain."

"I'm getting an abortion," I said quietly.

I watched as Aurora's face turned to stone. Or as close to stone as it could get. "Why?" she asked me quietly. "Why would you kill an innocent baby when you could keep it? Or give it up for adoption if you don't want it?"

I shook my head. There was no way I could explain this and it make any sense. "I can't give it up for adoption. It would be too hard." I knew she wouldn't drop this subject, no matter how hard I prayed she would.

"Then keep it, don't kill it!"

"I can't keep it. It's too...too-"

"Scary?" She finished the sentence for me. "It's supposed to be. Pregnancy is scary. Labor is scary. _Babies_ _are scary_. They make it that way so teens don't get pregnant. But do we listen? No! You got pregnant, your old enough to deal with it."

This was the exact same speech Renee had just given me. Except now I was listening. It's odd how sometimes we don't like what our parent's say, but when a teenager says it we're all for it. Damn, I was not looking forward to the upcoming conversation with Renee. You know, the one where I have explain to her what changed my mind.

I think Aurora knew she had changed my mind by something in my eyes. She dug in her pocket and pulled out a dollar bill, then dragged me to the receptionist's counter. "Do you have change for a dollar?" she asked the woman behind the desk.

"Thanks," Aurora said when she was handed four quarters. Then she dragged me over to the pay phone on the opposite wall and said, "call him."

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**Mwuahahahahahaha! I wasn't going to stop there, but then I thought, leave the readers in suspense.**

**If you want the next chapter by tomorrow you better start reviewing!!!**


	6. The Effects of Edward's Voice

**Disclaimer: So once again I am forced to admit that I don't own Twilight or New Moon. Sad, I know.**

"What?! I can't do that!" I exclaimed.

"Of course you can," Aurora said calmly. She held the phone out to me. "Now dial."

"But-"

"No buts," she cut me off. "Trust me, this is going to make you feel a helluva lot better."

I reluctantly took the phone from her. Maybe she's right, I thought. Maybe I would feel better if I called. I dialed the area code then the number that I knew by heart. It was barely through the first ring when someone picked up.

"Bella!" Edward's voice cried out to me over the phone.

I was nearly passed out I was so relieved to hear his voice. I hadn't expected to react so strongly, but I had to lean against the wall to keep from falling over. I felt a queasy feeling I hadn't even known I had in my abdomen go away. I guess the baby was happy to hear Edward's voice too.

"Bella?" I could hear the worry in Edward's voice.

"Edward," I choked out. Once again, I was crying.

"Bella, why didn't you tell me?" He sounded like he was in pain and I couldn't stand it. I hated putting Edward in pain. "Why didn't you tell me you were pregnant?"

"Wha- How did-?" My voice broke and I started sobbing. Charlie. He had read Charlie's mind. That's how he had found out.

"Bella, please don't cry," Edward soothed me. "I'm not mad at you. I know why you couldn't tell me, that was a stupid question. What I meant was why didn't you fight when Charlie sent you to Florida?" he pleaded. The hurt was so evident in his voice.

"I- I was scared. I was just so scared. Edward, I'm so sorry. I need you Edward. I don't know what to do." The sobs started up again.

"I need you, too."

"I love you Edward. I love you so much."

Before he could answer though, a long arm shot over my shoulder and disconnected the call. Instead of Edward's lovely voice telling me that he loved me, I got a dial tone. I spun around, ready to tear someone's throat out. Bitchy Bella was back and ready for action. What I saw stopped me in my tracks. My mother, with steely eyes and a clenched jaw.

"You are never to call that boy again!" she screamed at me. "Do you understand?!"

I was waiting for some smart remark to come out of my mouth or for my anger to boil over, but I was too high off of Edward's voice to do anything. I just stood there, dumb and silent. I knew that she couldn't keep me from Edward, and I knew that eventually I would come back down to earth. So what was the point in arguing now?

She grabbed my arm and dragged me out of the office. When I looked back I saw a completely flabbergasted Aurora looking back at me.

I yanked my arm out of her grip and walked over to the passenger side of the car and got in.

"You will not be getting an abortion," she said once we were out on the road.

I was about to tell her that I had changed my mind about it, but then thought that I might as well let her suffer a little since she just hung up on my boyfriend. I just shrugged my shoulders. i saw her hands tighten on the wheel.

"You know, I was having a conversation back there." I was starting to wonder why I wasn't so upset. Normally, I would have been majorly pissed off if she had done that. But I was just sitting there, watching the scenery race by. This wasn't normal.

"I told you, you won't be talking to that boy again."

"That _boy _happens to be my baby's father."

"I don't care if he is your baby's daddy," she said nastily. "You will never speak or see him again!"

There was a jerk in my uterus. All of a sudden I was mad as hell and had my teeth bared, ready to do some damage. "I don't know who the hell you think you are telling me I can't see my own fiance!"

Her head whipped around and she glared at me. "Don't you ever speak to me that way-" I cut her off.

"Don't you ever tell me that I'm not allowed to speak or see Edward again!" I screamed at her. It felt like acid was burning through my middle. It didn't burn me though, it exhilarated me.

She had her eyes back on the road but I could tell she was restraining herself. "If you say one more word-"

I didn't let her talk. "Shut up! I don't give a damn what the fuck you say!" Rock on bitchy Bella, rock on! I thought. "I am going home!"

Renee slammed on the brakes. I looked out the windshield to see that we were back at her house. The sound of the car door slamming caused me to jerk into action. By the time I had my hand on the door handle, she was already throwing it open and hauling me out by my arm.

"Ahhh!" I could tell by the pain radiating up my arm that it was going to bruise. "Renee! Let go!"

She only squeezed harder. "I am your mother and you will call me mom, dammit!" She started dragging me into the tiny throw-up house.

I planted my heels into the ground and leaned back, bracing myself against her. "You are not my mother now Renee!"

Before I could even blink, her hand shot out and hit me across the cheek. I didn't even think, I just through my shoulder back, balled my fist up, and punched her, right in the nose. I leaned into it, too, and soon I saw blood running down the lower half of her face. She fell back onto her butt, clutching her face. As she howled there like a spoiled brat, I ran into the house, and into my closet-like room and slammed the door behind me. Then I collapsed. The pain in my stomach was too much. The acid had built up steadily into a fiery pit of searing pain. It melted into my veins and coursed through my helpless body. I screamed until my throat was raw and I could scream no more.

As the pain grew worse, I started to thrash. I kicked over my nightstand and the glass on it crashed to the floor. Water soaked my hair and clothes, and involuntarily rolled into the shattered glass. The small cuts from the tiny slivers of crystal were nothing compared to the fire ripping through me. I continued to thrash until I was bruised and bloody and couldn't move anymore. I lay there, pain still running fiercely through me.

The last thing I remember before I lost consciousness was a clear voice ringing through my head.

_"I am sorry mother, _it said. _I have caused you this pain because of my carelessness. Please, you must find a way back to Forks."_

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**Ok, here's what's going on. I need suggestions on a baby name. When you review, post a name for a girl and boy, because I'm not going to tell you which it is. My favorite will make it into the story.**

**Also, if you read the Author's Note I posted titled 'If You've Read Bella's Side and Cowboy Emmett READ' I'm also holding a little contest for that and it has everything to do with the readers of Bella's Side. If you come up with a good title for the summary in the note then there will be a surprise for you at the end of this story. BUT YOU HAVE TO REVIEW. OTHERWISE, I WON'T KNOW WHAT TO NAME BELLA AND EDWARD'S KID AND IT WILL BE SOMETHING HORRIBLE LIKE BOB OR ELSIE.**


	7. New and Improved Doctor

**Disclaimer: Not mine!**

**A/N: School is back in session: ( I know, I'm sad too. Soooooo, I'll probably get up a chapter a week. My main focus is this story for now. Hope you like it!**

I woke up in a white room that smelled of disinfectant. A hospital, obviously. My whole body ached. I was sore in places I didn't know could be sore. Glass could do some real damage. I slowly turned my head to see my mother, asleep. Dark circles shadowed her eyes and her hair was stringy and greasy, unwashed. Tubes linked both of my arms to an IV. I laborously lifted my bandaged hand and placed it on my mothers'. Her eyes snapped open and linked with mine. Immediately, she lunged at me, and tightly wrapped her arms around me. She started sobbing and held on to me tighter.

"I'm s-so, so s-sorry, Bella!" She heaved. "I," she hiccuped. "I just...just exploded!" Her face was buried in my neck and I could feel the tears flowing down her cheeks. I lifted my arms to hug her tightly to me. As much as she had pissed me off, she was still my mother, and I had had my share of outrageously crazy mood swings lately, too.

"With all that's been going on," another hiccup, "with you and the baby and everything I just couldn't process everything! I'm so sorry baby."

"I'm sorry too, mom."

She sat up quickly and wiped her eyes with the back of her hands. "If it makes you feel better, my nose hurts like hell." She laughed half-heartedly.

"It doesn't make me feel good at all mom," I said, smiling weakly. My voice was still hoarse from screaming and it hurt to talk.

Just then the doctor walked in. "C-Carlisle?" I squeaked. He stood in the doorway to my room in a white coat and holding a clipboard.

"Hello Bella." He walked into the room and came to stand by the bed. "Renee has already approved of my being here," he said when I glanced nervously at my mother.

"And Edward?"

"Don't push your luck, Bella," Renee said sternly. "I agreed to Dr. Cullen being here just so you would feel more comfortable. I saw how you reacted to that other doctor yesterday. Dr. Cullen has agreed to fly down here once a month for your check-ups and he will be here for the birth."

"On one condition though, Bella," Carlisle said. "You must agree to keep the baby, and raise it. Preferably with Edward."

Renee started. "Once Renee feels comfortable with that of course," Carlisle said quickly.

"I couldn't not keep the baby now anyways." Renee looked at me, curiosity in her eyes. "Mom, can I talk to Carlisle alone," I pleaded. I gave her my best lower-lip-puppy-dog look.

She reluctantly made her way out of the room.

"What is it you want to talk about Bella? Has something happened?"

"Yes. Last night..." I began.

Carlisle sat in the chair Renee had been using. "What happened last night Bella? Where did all of those cuts come from? And why did you hit Renee? Has she been mistreating you?"

"No! It was just a big misunderstanding. Lots of raging hormones going around, you know?" I folded my hands in my lap. "What I wanted to tell you, is that the baby... Well, the baby did something...unusual last night."

"Please continue," Carlisle prompted.

I figured the best way to say it was bluntly. "It talked to me."

Carlisle sat there for a moment, stunned. "You mean, the child spoke to you?"

"Yes. That's what I mean."

"What did it say?"

"It said it was sorry, and that I must get back to Forks. Carlisle, I trust it. I think I'm in danger here, or it wouldn't have told me to leave." I was starting to panic, thinking he wouldn't believe my story. "I don't know how I know, I just do. Please believe me."

"I do Bella. I do. It's just," he paused, "you can't come back to Forks. At least not right now. You would be in more danger there than here."

I looked at him skeptically.

"We're having a little trouble with the local werewolves," he said.

"What?!" I shouted.

"Calm down Bella." He hurriedly stood and checked the hallway to make sure no one had heard my outburst and then gently closed the door. He turned to face me. "When Jacob came back, and found out you were pregnant, he lost it. We never thought he would react so strongly. He only agreed to let me come here without a fight in order to make sure you will be alright."

"What do you mean 'without a fight'?" I asked, anger consuming me. "What is Jacob doing?"

"Let's not talk about that. It's unpleasant. Let's stick to the baby. Have you picked out a name?" he asked.

"No. I don't even know the sex. Now back to the werewolves. What is happening?"

"I can't tell you Bella," Carlisle said defeatedly.

"Why not?" What was at first slight aggravation was now full-blown anger.

"Edward and Alice have given me specific instructions not to tell you what is going on for your safety and happiness."

"Since when have you listened to them?"

"Since Alice told me, in detail, what would become of you if I did."

"What will become of me?"

"Nothing for you to worry about. All you need to do is take care of my grandchild." A huge smile spread across his face, making me smile too. "As for the gender of said grandchild..."

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**Mwuahahahahahahah!!!! You have to wait till next time! Na na na na na! As for the name, it will not, I repeat WILL NOT, be Mason, Edward, Charlie or Elizabeth. Sorry, they're just so over-used. So far my favorites are Faylinn (so cool and unique) for a girl, and Hayden for a boy. **

**If you don't like my choices so far, you better start reviewing!**

**The next chapter will explain why the baby can talk. At least I hope.**


	8. Baby Talk

**A/N I am so good. You should all be happy that this is a long weekend and I can update so fast. With FCAT coming up, school has been harsher than ever before. Let me just put it this way; we go through a chapter a week in Killer Kennedy's Geometry class now. Hence the nick name. Plus, a 50 on one of her tests is like a 100 in any other class. Enough about cruel old women who should have retired years ago. On with the story!**

**-Ande**

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Carlisle walked back into the room, pulling a monster of a machine behind him. He chuckled when he saw my eyes go wide at the sight of it. "It's called a sonogram machine, Bella. It will show us pictures of the baby," he reassured me.

"I don't like big machines. They scare me," I said as I hunkered down in my hospital bed, cowering.

"And what do you call that old truck you drove in Forks?" he said, a good-natured smirk plastered on his face. "If my memory doesn't deceive me, it's big, and also a machine."

"Ha, ha," I laughed sarcastically, rolling my eyes.

He wheeled the machine next to the bed and started flipping switches and pressing various buttons. "Could you lay back and pull up your shirt, Bella?"

"Sure thing," I complied. Goose bumps rose up on my stomach as soon as the frigid air hit me. I started shivering uncontrollably and Carlisle noticed.

"I'm sorry Bella," he said sincerely, "but you are going to be even colder in a moment."

"Huh?" I squeaked.

"The gel," he clarified. "It's very cold."

"Oh. Great." I folded my arms behind my head and tried to relax, unsuccessfully.

"Alright, here goes." Seconds later an ice-cold sensation spread along my abdomen and I almost jumped out of my skin from the shock, which made Carlisle laugh loudly.

"Hey, I warned you," he said when I glared at him.

He started spreading the gel around with some sort of hand-held device attached to the machine with a long cord. Shivers wracked my body.

"So," I said, trying to make small talk. "About the talking…"

"Hmm?" Carlisle looked up from his ministrations, confused.

"How can the baby talk, Carlisle? I asked.

"Oh. Well, I don't think that the baby actually spoke to you," he stated simply.

I stared at him. Of all people, I thought that Carlisle would have understood most of all. "So you think I'm crazy?"

"No, of course not. What I meant was, I think that the baby _thought _to you," he said quickly. "It makes sense if you think about it. The baby would have inherited his abilities from Edward. The ability to read minds."

"But _I_ can't read minds Carlisle." Frustration rang through my voice. "It's not making any sense to me."

"It's obvious really," Carlisle said smugly. "The baby is a part of you. You share everything with it, and in return, it shares everything with you also. The baby can read minds, and in turn, so can you."

"But I haven't any minds other than the baby's," I reminded Carlisle.

He sat on the edge of the bed, a pondering look on his face. "Maybe the baby blocks out others' thoughts for your protection. People can be very hurtful. Especially to a pregnant teen."

"So the question now is," I said, "what has the baby heard that makes it think I'm in danger?"

"I don't think you're in any danger Bella. I just think that the baby wants you to go back to Forks and Edward because it's homesick. But just in case, if anything happens, you tell me. Immediately," he said seriously.

"Of course Carlisle."

He turned and concentrated on the machine.

"So what do you want?" he asked suddenly.

"Want?"

"Boy or girl," he stated as if it was obvious.

"Oh, I don't know. I don't really have a preference," I lied. The last thing I needed to do right now was get my hopes up.

Carlisle continued to spread the gel up and down my stomach. Apparently, even vampire eyes found it difficult to find a baby in a uterus.

"Umm, Carlisle?"

"Yes Bella?"

"Which does Edward want?" I asked nervously.

"Bella," Carlisle smiled. "Edward will be happy with whichever you give him. Trust me. He's just ecstatic that this is happening at all."

"How is this possible?" I wondered aloud.

"I believe it had something to do with Edward's virgin status."

I stared blankly, uncomprehending. "Care to elaborate on that?"

"Well, to say it bluntly, Edward still had sperm in his body from his human days. And because you are human, you were able to become pregnant from it. You see, that's why female vampires can't get pregnant. They can't support life in their seemingly dead bodies."

"Then how does the sperm from a male vampire stay alive?"

"I believe that they are frozen during the change and can stay dormant for years."

"And once they hit warmth they unfreeze and head straight for the baby maker," I finished.

"Exactly."

"Ok, I think I can understand that," I said.

"Good, because any further explanation would have been embarrassing."

"You're telling me."

We settled into a comfortable silence, and it was then that I heard the faint beeps coming from the machine.

"Carlisle, what does the beeping mean?"

"That's your baby's heartbeat, Bella."

I gasped and listened intently to the steady beeping. It seemed to calm me, and I finally started to relax in the cold.

"Aha!" Carlisle exclaimed.

"What?! What's wrong?!"

"Nothing, silly Bella. I found the baby," he said, looking pleased with himself.

"Ooh, where?" I asked excitedly. I sat up halfway, propped up on my elbows. In front of me was a small, black and white TV screen, and all I saw were shapeless blobs. "I don't see anything."

"Right here," he pointed at the screen, "is the head. Do you see it?"

"Yes!" I was so giddy that I started giggling. At the sound, Carlisle looked down at me, a fatherly smile on his face.

He looked at the screen again. "Look here," he pointed again, lower this time. "Do you see?"

"Yeah Carlisle. I see." A tear slid down my cheek. It was exactly what I had secretly hoped for.

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**Ok, so I have been banned from my brother's laptop and am now being forced to type this on the computer in my mom's bedroom. The chair I have to sit in it an antique wooden straight-back, and my back is killing me. Count yourselves blessed that I'm even writing right now.**

**Review please! They're like Tylenol painkillers to me** **at this point.**


	9. Early Present

**Disclaimer: I forgot the disclaimer in the last chapter so this one counts for both. I own copies of the books, but not the actual rights to the books.

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**

Believe it or not, wiping off the gel had been the best part of the entire ordeal with the sonogram. My stomach had been so cold at that point it was numb and it felt so good to be warm again. But hearing the heartbeat easily won second place. From that moment on, there was no doubt that I wouldn't be keeping my baby. It was a given. I was going to be the proud mother of a normal, half vampire baby. I was happy.

"Carlisle? You're all going to be ok in Forks, right?" I asked concernedly.

"Don't you worry about that Bella," he said. "We are perfectly capable of handling a few werewolves throwing a temper tantrum. Besides, they have no authority. Edward hasn't broken any rules by having a baby with you. In fact, I'm betting they're kicking themselves for not having that particular rule in the treaty."

"It's not like we could have seen this coming."

"True. But Jacob feels like he should have." Carlisle had long ago taken the machine out of the room, and now we sat comfortably, me in my bed and him in his chair, chatting.

"Is there any way that I can help?"

"No Bella. We can handle ourselves. The only thing you should even think about is keeping that child safe and sound until it's ready to come out into the world."

"About that." I was seriously concerned about the labor. I didn't much like pain. It was an unnecessary feeling. "Can I have drugs?"

"I don't think that would be wise Bella." Carlisle said. "With the baby being half vampire, there is no telling what that would do."

"But Carlisle," I whined. "I can't handle that kind of pain. I watched the video in health class, and even with the drugs that woman was screaming her lungs out."

"Sometimes drugs don't work like they're supposed to. It can either take the pain away or do nothing at all for the mother."

"You're not helping!" I didn't mean to sound spoiled, but come on, there had to be some kind of drug that would work.

"Bella, you need to calm down. You shouldn't be stressing over this now. It's a long way away." He stood up, walked to the other side of the room, and bent to pick up what looked like a briefcase. "I don't think that Renee would approve of this, but it's for your health so I'm willing to go behind her back this once." He opened the bag and produced a cell phone.

"This is yours to keep Bella," he said as he handed it to me. "It's for whenever you feel the need to talk to any member of the Cullen family. Edward, Alice, or even Rosalie. If you call their cells, I promise you that they will pick up. The numbers are already programmed into it."

I looked at him, speechless. It was the best gift he could have given me. I didn't even mind that it probably cost a fortune. "Thank you dad," I said.

He smiled, obviously pleased with my new name for him, and walked around the end of the bed to hug me. "Consider it an early baby present."

"Umm, can I call someone now?"

"Of course," he laughed. "I'll be right out here if you need me."

As soon as Carlisle was out of the room, I flipped the phone open and quickly dialed Edward's number. He picked up before it even started ringing this time.

"I love you, too Bella. I had to finish our last conversation," he explained.

I giggled. It was just like Edward to do that. "Thanks, that's just what I needed to hear."

"I know. I miss you, Bella."

"I miss you, too," I sighed. "I wish you could be here." I turned over on my side to get more comfortable and lay back on the pillow.

"So, are you going to tell me what we're having or not?" he asked playfully.

"Do you really want to know?"

He paused. "No. I want to be surprised."

"I think I can manage that. Just tell Alice to mind her own business and not to spoil it for you." I laughed when I heard Alice yelling and maiking a fuss in the background.

"Have you picked out names?"

"Not really. Do you have any in mind?"

"Well if it's a girl, Marisol is pretty," he said quickly.

"I like that name. And if it's a boy?"

"I don't know. You pick it."

"If I pick it will be Edward." I laughed again when I heard him make a vomiting noise.

"Please don't do that to our child," he pleaded.

"I happen to like that name."

"I know you do, but imagine the teasing he would go through with my old name."

"A boy would be perfectly happy with your name," I joked. "And besides, he would be able to beat up all the mean little kids that tease him with his vampire strength."

"You have a point there." I could hear the smile in his voice.

"Edward, Carlisle thinks that the baby has your power," I said bluntly.

There was a long pause on the other end of the line. "Why does he think that?"

"Because," I said. "The baby spoke to me."

I heard a collective intake of breaths and knew the entire family had heard.

"Oh my gosh!" I heard Alice squeal. "That is so cool! What did the baby say?"

"It wants me to go back to Forks. It thinks I'm in danger here."

I didn't hear anything for a moment. "Bella," Edward said carefully. "You have to promise me that you will stay in Florida. You're much safer there for now."

"I know," I reassured him. "Carlisle already told me."

"So the baby has Edward's gift," Esme mused. I guessed that I had been put on speaker phone because I could hear everyone on the line.

"Hey!" I heard Rosalie shout, obviously annoyed. "I want to know if the baby is a boy or a girl!"

"Sorry Rose," I chuckled. "You'll have to wait till Carlisle gets back home to find out. I don't want Edward to overhear."

"Yeah," Edward agreed. "I don't want to know the sex."

"You are so weird," Rosalie countered.

Carlisle walked back into the room then. "I'm sorry Bella, but your mother's on the way," he said.

"Ok, I just have one more thing I need to do," I told him. He nodded.

"Edward?"

"Yes?" the entire family answered.

"Listen."

I held the phone to my stomach so they could hear the heartbeat. With their enhanced hearing I knew they could. I saw a warm smile cross Carlisle's face. When I brought the phone back to my ear, all I heard was silence.

"You better take good care of my little niece or nephew," Emmett told me.

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**A/N Okay, I'm not going to tell you the sex of the baby any time soon. I want it to be a surprise.**

**Also, I am completely computer retarded and I admit it. I don't know how to copy and paste things onto my profile page. Every time I try to paste stuff onto it, it doesn't work. Somebody please help me!**


	10. I'm Not Fat, I'm Knocked Up

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

**So sorry guys and girls! I went to Colorado this week and had no Internet. Before that I was just tired out from school. Really, really sorry!**

**Also, I have changed my name to Addicted 2 Written Words as many of you have already noticed. What can I say, I get tired of pen names easily.**

**-Ande**

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I stared at my reflection in the mirror over my dresser. My hair was flat, my skin pale and splotchy from my recent bout of crying, and shallow cuts from the shards of glass covered my face. Not an ideal image for a walk around town, but I had to get out of the house. One more second spent listening to the murmur of the T.V. and I would go crazy. So it was simple. Con my way out of this house for a few hours or go stay at a pretty hotel with nice padded rooms and a white, long-sleeved jacket to keep me warm. I chose the first plan.

I slipped out of my room and into the dark hallway searching for Renee. She wasn't on the couch with Phil, or in the living room at all for that matter. I walked into the kitchen and saw her huddled over the sink, elbow deep in soapy water, scrubbing as if her life depended on it.

"Mom?" I asked hesitantly.

She jumped about a foot in the air and suds flew. "Oh God, Bella!" She whirled around quickly and started mopping up the spill with her rag. "You scared me."

"I'm sorry-"

"It's fine, completely fine," she interrupted. "What is it you want Bella?''

I was stunned into silence for a moment. "Wh-what makes you think I want something?"

"Oh please, Bella," she huffed. "I don't have time for this. As you can see I have a lot of things to do today other than lie in a bed and sulk. Why don't you get out of the house for a while or something? Go meet up with that friend of yours you met at the doctor's office."

Once again she had surprised me. She was telling me to do what I had come to ask her permission for. Something I had been sure she would absolutely refuse to allow.

"Well that was easy," I muttered.

"What was that?" Renee continued to wipe at the long-dried spill.

"Oh, nothing," I said quickly. "I think I might take you up on that offer and call Aurora. That's her name you know. Aurora."

"Mm-hm," Renee mumbled distractedly.

"OK then. I'm gone."

I practically ran to my room, feeling like Flash Gordon on heroin. I dug through my sock drawer and quickly located the tiny cell phone Carlisle had given me for an early baby present. Soon it was tucked safely into the front pocket of my jeans along with my ultra-small can of mace that I have carried into strange places with me ever since the incident in Port Angeles.

About the time my feet hit pavement though, I realized that I didn't have Aurora's number. It looked like a detour was in order...

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**Ha ha! Bet you thought this was the end of the chapter! Well it's not. Just a small time lapse.**

The woman behind the desk tapped her fingers on the desk and stared uninterestedly up at me.

"You want me to look up the records of a patient here, and give you her home phone number?" she asked incredulously.

"Yep." I had been struggling to make the receptionist understand that said patient was a friend of mine and would be perfectly fine with her giving the information to me for about forty-five minutes. I was tired, my feet hurt, my back ached, and I was in serious need of a nice big chocolate mint ice cream cone.

"And on top of that," she continued, "you don't even know her name."

"I do know her name!" I shouted, exasperated. "It's Aurora!"

"Aurora what?" She waited, eyes wide open in fake innocence. "Hmmm?"

"I already told you. We've only talked once and I didn't catch her last name. But we are friends, I can assure you."

"Uh-huh."

I don't know why I did it. I blame it on the pregnancy hormones. Or maybe I was suffering from the extreme heat of the day. But whichever it was, in two seconds flat I was holding my can of mace a foot from her face, threatening to spray her if I didn't get that number.

And two seconds after that, security had me flat on my back, staring blankly up at the textured ceiling.

"Hey!" I heard a familiar voice shout. "Get off her!"

I turned my head to see the flaming red hair of my knight in shining armor. Or is it _knightess_?

"But miss-" The security officer looked completely lost, like this was the most action he had ever seen in his poor pathetic life of wearing a roll of quarters used to call the _real_ police with.

"Don't 'but' me _Leslie_," Aurora said in an authoritative voice. She would've been a great mother if she had decided to keep the baby. "Now help her up."

He sighed heavily, but stooped to grab my hand and pulled me upright.

"Thanks," I told Aurora. "I'm really sorry about this. It's just I'm about to go stir crazy sitting around doing nothing. All I have to think about is labor, stretch marks, and my expanding everything, and it's all so depressing. I'm never going to be able to wear a bathing suit again, even though I never really wore them before. And-"

"Bella! Snap out of it! Everything is going to be fine!"

"How can you know that!" I screeched.

"I don't know. I just have to believe it."

I sighed heavily at her answer. "Fine."

"So, are you free to get some ice-cream?"

My ears perked up at that. "Hell yes."

"Good." She grabbed my hand and pulled me out the door. "It's a good thing that my appointment was canceled yesterday or I wouldn't have been in there today to save your ass. Your lucky to have me, you know that?"

"You have no idea."

"Alright." She pulled me forward until we were walking side by side. "Spill. How did yesterday turn out?"

"I punched her."

"Can't blame you," she continued unfazed. "I would have done the same if my mother was that over-bearing."

"I actually feel kind of bad about it. She's still in shock you know? I didn't used to be the type of girl you had to worry about getting pregnant." I realized my mistake too late. "Oh my God Aurora, I didn't mean-"

"It's ok, I wasn't either actually." She shook her head. "I was going to graduate with a diploma instead of a GED. And then I was gonna go to college and become a doctor and now look at me. I'm four months pregnant."

"Yeah-"

"Hey Aurora!" Someone from across the street shouted. "How's it goin'?"

"Just fine, Howey!" She called back. "You?"

"Better than you!" the man replied with a laugh.

"Howey's an old friend," she explained to me.

"Uh-huh."

"What flavor?"

We had arrived at an ice-cream vendor. The menu was filled with flavors. Too many to count. "Uhhhhh."

"Yep. There are alot of choices."

"But which one do I pick?"

"Hey, it's your decision. Pina Colada," she said to the man behind the counter.

"Um, lime sherbert?"

"Comin' up."

Ten minutes later, we strolled around a small body of water called Lake Ella, eating our ice creams and talking about everything from the ducks that swarmed around us to our favorite foods. After awhile though, the sun started to disappear behind the tall pines.

"Well, it's time for me to get home," Aurora said as she rubbed her bulging tummy. "I can't be out too late, 'cause I started falling asleep earlier ever since I reached thirty inches around the waist. But here's my number so you can call me tomorrow and we can hang out. There's a big probability that I won't be at the doctor's to save you next time."

"If I must," I joked.

She rolled her eyes, but before she could answer a shout came across the water. "Hey fatso!"

"Oh,please," Aurora muttered. "I'm not fat, you idiot! I'm knocked up!"

"I saw that shirt in Spencer's last month," I mused.

"I've gotta go get that one." We both burst out into loud laughter at that.

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**Just so you know, there really is a place in Florida named Lake Ella, and there really is a shirt at Spencer's that says that. There is or soon will be a picture of it on my homepage. TTFN**


	11. Hidden Away

**Disclaimer: I don't own a thing.**

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The sky had begun to turn all shades of purple and pink. It was miraculous. I felt like mother nature had put on this show just for me. I walked down the sidewalk toward the small shack-like home I was being forced to live in and for once I didn't think of it as such a bad place to be. I had Renee and Phil, Aurora, and the golden sun was a nice bonus. All that was missing was the Cullen family. Especially Edward. Even when I wasn't thinking of him, which was rare, I always had an ache in the pit of my stomach. It felt twisted and wrong, and I couldn't help but wonder if the baby had anything to do with this small discomfort.

At the time it never occured to me that this feeling might be coming from something other than my pining. But then again, a lot of things didn't occur to me then.

I was practically skipping up the driveway of the house I felt so elated. The day had been so wonderful. Ice cream, and a nice long talk with my new friend. It was a wonder I wasn't floating off into the air I was so happy.

A loud crash came from inside the house and I ran up to investigate. Just when I was reaching out to yank open the screen door, another crash sounded.

Then I heard it. The one sound in the world that would change my life forever. A strangled whimper. Cursing and screaming. The sound of Phil beating my mother.

At first I didn't comprehend what I was hearing. I just stood there, paralyzed with fear. My gut clenched painfully, and I lost control of everything.

Tears ran down my face, my knees gave out, and I fell onto the cracked gravel. My skin burned, split and began to bleed. I tried to scream out, but my nothing came out. My body was wracked with unimaginable pain and I couldn't make a sound. I prayed for death.

Loud banging noises echoed from the house. My head swam. The salty tears blured my vision till all I could see was vague, watery images. More banging.

Somewhere deep inside, I knew I had to move. I couldn't stay crumpled on the doorstep. I had to hide. I tried to move but my limbs were weak. My fingers clawed at the ground and I inched my way behind the bushes along the side of the house. Once I was completely hidden by the green foliage, I went limp. I had no more strength to do anything but listen.

Phil was ranting. I couldn't understand half of what he said, but I caught some of it. He hated Renee. He had married her for her non-existent money. She was good for nothing to him. She was helpless. My heart broke for my mother.

It was as if everything had fallen in place in my head. I understood why Renee had been acting the way she had. Why she was so very angry with me when I arrived. She didn't want me here, to see the real Phil, and she didn't want me in Forks with the boy who had, in her mind, knocked me up. She was torn. She didn't know what to do. So she had done the only thing she knew how to do. Control everything and hope for the best. Unfortunately for her, she hadn't expected Phil's reaction to me being here. He didn't want me here, and now she was paying dearly for a mistake she didn't make. Guilt washed over me. This was my fault.

Slowly, as Renee's whimpers continued to find me outside, my guilt turned to rage. Rage at how Phil could possibly think he could hurt my mother. Rage that she let him. All through my growing up, she had been independent, never letting a man rule her life. Why now? Why wasn't she fighting him? Why had she given up? Why did she stay?

All of these questions flew through my head, and I couldn't answer them. I felt so helpless lying behind a bush, hiding. Was I doomed to run and hide behind something or someone for the rest of my life? I had run from James when he hunted me, but when I had gotten the chance I had run to face him on my own. I ran with Alice all the way to Italy to save Edward.I had stayed behind Edward when Victoria had tried to kill me, but when things had gone downhill in the fight I practically jumped at the opportunity to help him.Why wasn't I fighting back now? Renee had not raised me that way. She taught me to always stand my ground, yet here I was.

Something was wrong with me. The baby had me acting differently than I normally would. At any other time, I would be in the house, at least attempting to beat the crap out of that bastard. Now I was pregnant, vulnerable, and suffering from paralysis.

If Phil were to come outside and discover me, I would be defenseless. The helplessness rushed into me freely now, and I didn't like the feeling. I tried to stop the tears trickling out of my eyes in vain. Why was I left helpless now? When I needed the ability to fight most? Was this the child's sick way of keeping me safe?

_"Please mother, be still. Be quiet. Be safe. For me." _

Shock ran through me. _What?_

_"Be still. Be quiet. Be safe."_

_What the hell is that supposed to mean? Hello?_

The shouting was growing louder. Phil was moving toward the front door. All of the sudden, the screen door flew open and crashed against the side of the house causing a spray of splinters and siding to rain down on me. Phil stormed out of the house, each fall of his work boots vibrating loudly in my ears. He got into his car and sped off, tires squealing. I lay there on the ground, not breathing. Was he gone for good? Somehow I doubted it.

Slowly, my arms and legs began to come back to life. And with it my sobs were renewed. The pain dulled, and with it the sun, which had been a glowing crystal orb only moments before. I understood so much now.

All this time the aching pain hadn't been me longing for Edward and the rest of my family. It had been a warning to me. Phil posed a threat to me and the baby. And I had no way to keep myself safe.

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**Well I hope you liked it. Surprisingly this chapter wasn't that hard to write. I thought it would be. Until next time... **


	12. The Unanswered Question

**Disclaimer: I'm broke, penniless, and I have been told that my monopoly money isn't worth anything, therefor, I can't possibly own Twilight, New Moon, or Eclipse.**

**!!ATTENTION!!**

**If this chapter receives 20 reviews, I will post the next chapter within the week!**

**If this chapter receives 30 reviews, I will post the next chapter within 3 days!**

**If this chapter receives 40 reviews, I will post the next chapter within 1 day!**

**!LYL!**

**-Ande**

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There was no wind. The cool breeze was gone and an oppressive heat had taken its place. I could tell that rain was coming. Before the storm, there's always an unbearable heat wave. The inside of my throat, my arms and legs, my entire body, was coated with moisture from the air. I felt like I was submerged in a pool of stuffy, boiling water.

I sat up dizzily, for a moment completely unaware of anything. I felt slow and stupid as I leaned against the siding of the small house. My arms and legs felt leaden, as if I had lain in the dirt for hours on end. It took tremendous effort to move even an inch from where I sat.

My head pounded, and my ears rang. Bugs buzzed around me, then immediatly flew off when the steet lights flickered on. Feeling began to creep back into my body, and I was eventually able to stand, though somewhat shakily.

I stood slumped against the wall for I don't know how long. A couple of people rushed by dragging their children behind them, casting nervous glances my way, and I tried not to pay attention. My main focus was to get inside and help my mother. I could hear her whimpering through the screen door.

About as slowly as a slug moves, I got inside. It was dark and gloomy, and shadows infested the place. The oppresiveness that was outside was nothing compared to what resided in the house.

I heard heavy breathing wracked with dry sobs, and I felt a weight settle on my chest. Each step I took, the weight increased until I felt like I was being crushed and I couldn't breathe. The dread that hung in my mind washed over me and exploded into full-blown fear when I rounded the corner into the kitchen and saw my mother lying crumpled on the floor.

I forgot about my pounding head and my shaky legs. I forgot that I couldn't breathe and that I was exhausted. It took me two seconds flat to race to her side and roll her onto her back. I gasped out loud at what I saw.

Her face was unrecognizable to me, it was so bloody and bruised. She had a black eye, a busted lip, and what looked like a severe concussion on the side of her head. Blood oozed from her nose and streaked down her cheek. When I looked at her neck and arms I could see imprints of fingers bruised into her skin. Her fingers were swelling rapidly where her bones had been dislocated.

I couldn't look at the rest of her. I was already sick from the little I saw.

She looked up at me, and I could see the horrendous pain in her eyes. "Baby," she whispered. "Help me sit up."

As gently as I could, I wrapped my arms around her and pulled her up so she could lean against the counter. She cried out, and tears leaked out of her red eyes. My gut clenched. How could he do this to her?! He was her husband!

_Had he done this before?_

It wasn't until I let go of her that I realized I was shaking. I couldn't stop. It was like I had finally cracked under the pressure and the volcano was getting ready to spew. I wanted to scream. At Phil for even _thinking_ he had the right to hurt my mother. At Renee for letting him do it. At Edward who had let me run/be shipped off to Florida. At whatever god exhisted out there that could let me get pregnant with a mutant baby. I just wanted to scream at the top of my lungs.

"Mom," my voice quivered. "Tell me what to do. Do I call an ambulance? The police?"

She shook her head vehemently. "No." She choked out. "I'm fine."

"No your not! Look at yourself!" I stood up and looked around for the phone.

She grabbed my hand, and using strength I didn't think she had, she yanked me back down. "I said no."

"Mom, please!" I struggled in vain to loosen her grip.

"No!" she barked. "I mean it Bella!"

I was so stunned I couldn't speak, couldn't move. I had even stopped shaking. And then the raging volcano of emotions inside of me errupted.

"How can you sit there, bleeding, and tell me not to call the cops?! He should be put in jail for this!"

"Bella don't be silly." She massaged a massive bruise forming on her left temple with her fingers.

"Wait, It sounds to me like your..." I trailed off.

Her hand froze and she stiffened visibly. She glanced at me anxiously.

"Your defending him," I stated. "Aren't you?" My mind reeled at the very thought. I knew my mother, and she would have never defended someone who beat her, not even Phil. But when I looked at her I saw a flash of guilt and sorrow cross her face. "This isn't the first time either, is it?"

She stared at me, and I stared back. For the first time I saw the changes in her. She was no longer the Renee I knew. She wasn't outgoing and strong anymore. She was no longer the Renee that would defend and protect herself no matter what she was up against. She was submissive. Phil had turned her into his punching bag, and he had beaten submission into her. The realization that my mother now needed protecting, instead of the other way around, tore at my heart like nothing ever had before.

She looked away quickly and grabbed at the counter, trying to pull herself up.

"Careful," I said, as I wrapped my arms around her waist to help her. She hissed in her breath and I loosened my grip on her. "Sorry." It seemed like there was not a place on her that wasn't hurt. The pressure on my chest was back at that thought.

"I'm ok. Just leave me alone Bella." She was slowly inching her way toward her room, my arms wrapped around her for support.

"Don't be stupid. You can barely stand. I need to get you to a hospital." I tried to push her in the direction of the front door, but she was stubborn. At least she still had that, even if it wasn't one of her best traits.

She yanked herself away from me and made a dash for the bedroom, and I would have caught her, had I not tripped over my own feet and twisted my ankle. I heard the door slam shut and the click of the lock as I fell onto the hard floor, my right shoulder taking the brunt of it. I groaned in pain. That was definetely going to bruise.

I sat on the floor for a long time contemplating busting down the door. On the up side, there was a chance I could get the answers I was looking for. On the down side, I would probably break a few bones in the process of ramming the door.

I stared at it for another minute, praying with all my might that it would open, but it didn't budge.

I got up and half limped half jumped into my room, closed and locked the door, and finally dove onto my bed. I wrapped my quilt around me until I was in a sort of cocoon that, in my mind, nothing could penetrate. Life seemed so much easier when I didn't have to deal with anything.

I didn't want to deal with this baby, and I didn't want to deal with what Phil was doing to my mom. It was all too much for me to handle. So I stayed like that; wrapped up in my impenetrable world where it was easy because there was no such thing as a vampire knocking me up or Phil being an abusive bastard.

All the time, one question swirled around in my mind. _Would Phil do that to me?_

I didn't have the answer.

This was one of those times in my life that I needed my mother. I needed Renee's guidance. I needed her to hold me and tell me that everything was going to be alright.

What would I do when Phil got home? Would I cower in my bed? Call the police and report him? Or do something incredibly stupid, like facing him on my own with a throbbing ankle and a month old fetus in my uterus for instance?

I heard the gutteral sound of the engine in Phil's car. The glare from the headlights blinded me as he pulled into the driveway. The terrible pain in my abdomen was back and a sudden black rage filled my head, making me unable to think straight. All I knew was that the man stepping out of the car had hurt my mother, and he couldn't get away with it.

**It moves a little fast for my taste. I'm gonna try to slow it down a little. Not the actual story itself, just what happens in each chapter. idk. **

**R & R please!! It would make me very happy! )**


	13. Threatened

**Disclaimer: If I owned Twilight I would be able to pay my car insurance, gas, and still have money left over to go shopping. Unfortunately, I don't own Twilight. Or New Moon. I also don't own Eclipse. GOSH DARN IT!!**

**I just want to take a sec and thank all of you who reviewed. I got 20 reviews in less than 24 hours! Who's excited?!**

The roar of the engine cut off, but the roar in my head seemed to grow louder, consuming the silence. It seemed like a red fog had settled over me as I stomped through the house and into the living room ready to confront Phil. At that moment, I was a woman on a mission. That unfortunate stubborn streak that my mother has was passed on to me. Nothing could have stopped me. Not the little voice inside of my head telling me I would regret this, and not the overflow of pain originating out of my uterus. At that moment, I was Super Woman.

What I saw when I got to the living room made me freeze. Phil stood in the middle of the room, shirtless, with a confused look on his face. It was obvious that he was wasted and he had managed to get into a fight at whatever dump he had gotten drunk in. I saw that he had his shirt balled up in his hand and realized he had used it on his nose, which was bleeding profusely.

I smirked at him. I can't lie and say that I felt bad for the guy. I was actually pretty pleased that he gotten a little taste of his own medicine, but I wouldn't have complained if he was in the Emergency Room and the doctors said he would never wake up because of the trauma to his head. There's something about knowing that someone is slowly beating your mother to death that turns a person morbid.

It took him a while, he couldn't seem to focus on anything, but he finally saw me. I saw his eyes light up with recognition, and I stepped back, suddenly uneasy, when I saw the look on his face.

"Come 'ere, schweetie," he slurred. "I missed ya."

The pain that had been increasing steadily doubled in a matter of miliseconds, and I cried out in pain. I clutched my stomach and bent over, leaning against the wall for support. he started to stumble toward me.

I backed away from him, steadying myself with the wall.

"Renee? I sed ya come 'ere." He was getting angry, I could tell from the way he clenched his fists. It was the first time I really noticed how imposing he could really be. He was almost as muscular as Emmett, but not as defined. It was just starting to dawn on me that the little voice saying, 'I told you so,' had been right. I was most definetly regretting my stupid, spur of the moment decision.

"Phil." My voice shook and I hated that. "It's me. Bella," I said as I continued backing away from him. He kept coming toward me. "I'm not Renee."

"Ya thin' i'm gunna fall fer that un 'gain?" He snorted.

My mind was racing to find an escape. There were no windows and no doors near me. I was trapped, yet for some reason, I refused to believe it. I kept searching. If I ran, I knew I would fall, and he would catch me. Running was out. Stuck was what I was. But I was also determined. "I don't know what your talking about," I answered truthfully.

"'Course ya don," he muttered to himself. "Ya nev'r do cuz yer too damn stupid ta know nothin!'" He took a giant step forward and swung crazily, aiming for my head.

I ducked away and, as quickly as possible, I made my way over to the other side of the room, my goal the front door.

"Why don't you get yourself a cup of coffee?" I suggested. "You look like you need it."

"Don need nothin'." He swaggered closer to me.

"You don't want coffee? Okay, how about some water? Tea?"

"I don wan nothin'!" He whiped at his nose with the shirt and left a streak of blood across his cheek. "I wan you!"

"I thought that you didn't want anything." I backed up until I was against the opposite wall. "Now your just contradicting yourself."

"Huh?" he asked stupidly.

I couldn't help myself anymore. "Your making yourself sound stupid."

He stared blankly at me, his intoxicated mind unable to comprehend that I had just insulted him, a very unwise decision on my part.

"How about some milk?"

"What?" he asked, once again confused.

"Do you want some milk?" I could see the light at the end of this long dark tunnel.

"Whaz with all tha questions?" He staggered backwards, trying to catch his balance, and I inched closer to the front door.

"Simple," I stated. "I'm distracting you."

"Ya caint do that," he said in a high pitched voice. "I'm indestructable."

"You mean 'indistractable'? Is that even a word?"

"Don correct me!" He shouted. "Ya got no right, woman!" He lunged toward me, arms swinging wildly. I turned to run, fear overloading my senses, and I stepped wrong on my swollen ankle, and I toppled over.

"A-hah!" he shouted in triumph as he pulled me up by my hair. "I gotcha now!"

I tried to get away from him but he was too strong. He stared down at my struggling form with a big grin on his face. "Why don we have a little bit o' fun?"

I punched and kicked at him wildly but he only laughed at my attempts. "Why do ya even try, Renee?" he asked.

It was time for my last resort. I screamed as loud as I could, right in Phil's ear. He grabbed his head with both hands, leaving me free to run.

"Ya little whore!" He lunged again, and this time he managed to land on top of me. "Be still!"

I clawed at his face, still screaming at the top of my lungs. I tried to kick him but he had straddled my legs. He grabbed my wrists with a bruising grip and forced them over my head. Then he leaned down and kissed me. His mouth tasted of alcohol, and I could tell that he hadn't brushed his teeth in a while. I tried to turn my head away, but he just grabbed both of my wrists in one hand and used the other one to hold my head still. Tears streamed down my face. I was completely disgusted. This couldn't happen.

A maddening stubborness took over. My eyes, which had been tightly shut against all that was happening, snapped open. My eyes narrowed. He was so going to pay for this. I opened my mouth, and just as his tongue slithered in, I bit down as hard as I could.

Blood spurted out of his mouth as he reared back, howling in rage. His hand collided with my face so unexpectedly that I cried out. I hadn't even seen it coming and it stung furiously. He was still occupied with his bleeding tongue, and I took my chance. I pulled my legs up to my chest, aimed, then let loose with all of the strength I had left. My feet collided with his groin, and he screamed shrilly, and fell backward.

All of a sudden it was quiet except for my heavy breathing and pounding heart. I scrambled to my feet and looked over to see Phil lying on the floor on his back, unconcious.

There wasn't time to think. He could wake up any minute. Any minute. Any minute. Any minute. I repeated it over and over, like a mantra. I ran blindly through the house, stumbling over nothing, straight to my room, and quickly slammed the door shut behind me.

I leaned against it, catching my breath. My body was wracked with sobs as I crumpled to the floor, my back to the door. I couldn't breathe, my chest felt so heavy. Tears still ran unchecked down my face, which still stung like hell from his slap. I felt like I was falling apart.

I closed my eyes and tried to calm myself down. But my heart insisted on going ballistic, and adrenaline was still pumping through my veins. I took a deep breath and let it out, but it didn't work. I tried relaxing every muscle in my body, but that didn't work either. So I just sat there, slumped against the door, until numbness took over.

It was like a drug. My limbs tingled and a wierd buzzing sensation crept through them slowly. It felt like a million ants were crawling all over me. It eventually wore off, and my heart slowed down, but I still felt like I was going to jump out of my skin at the slightest noise.

The pain in my stomach ebbed away as my heart slowed, and I was just beginning to discover something very important. I was absolutely sure now that the pain was a sort of warning system, and the farther away I got from Phil, the less the baby hurt. Which meant that the baby had always known that Phil was a threat to me. To us.

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**I just couldn't help myself!! I HAD to post this chapter!! I already had it written and I felt so bad holding off for a week. **

**24 reviews!!**


	14. And They All Fall Down

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight, or New Moon. I don't own Eclipse either. But I do own copies of all three books. Does that count?**

**Aren't all of you glad that it's summer break and I haven't gotten a job yet so I have nothing better to do?? Yeah. Me too.**

I woke up still slumped against my bedroom door. My body ached from sleeping in the same position all night. My bones cracked as I pushed myself up off the floor. I limped my way over to the mirror that sat leaning against the wall on my dresser. The side of my face that Phil had hit was swollen and red. I could see his hand print clearly. I touched it, and grimaced at the pain that shot through it. I hoped it wouldn't bruise.

I turned away and took a long look around the bare room. Since last nights events, the cracks in the off-white walls looked like they would open and swallow me whole. Suddenly, deadly spiders lurked behind every cobweb. The lump under the comforter was no longer my pillow, but a monster waiting to gobble me up. I felt like I was six years old again, and the shadow in the corner was the bogey-man, come to get me. Everything was more sinister, now.

Every little sound made me jump out of my skin. The loud bang that sounded through the tiny house as the air conditioner came on nearly gave me a heart attack. The vent above my head blew ice-cold air onto my face and bare arms, raising chill bumps instantly. I shuffled slowly to the closet, too sore to move any faster, and pulled out the first sweater I laid eyes on. It was dark blue and had a picture of Azlan from the Chronicles of Narnia on it. Edward bought it for me saying that he liked the irony of it. I didn't think it was funny. It was just one more reminder that I wasn't a vampire, and that I was in an impossible situation.

I pulled it over my head just as the a/c died with a sputtering cough. And that's when I heard him.

"That goddamn machine! Renee! I thought I told you to get that damned thing fixed!" His voice echoed up and down the hallway, and I crept into the back of the closet. "RENEE!" I cringed at his thundering scream. I didn't hear my mothers' response, but it was obviously something he didn't want to hear.

"What!? Well, why the hell couldn't you get it fixed Renee!?" he shouted. "It's not like you do a damn thing around here! I'm the one who works!"

This time I could heard the sound of her shaky answer, though I still couldn't make out her words.

"NO MONEY!? Well why don't you get a job you stupid bitch!?" There was a brief pause, and I assumed Renee was answering him. "It's not that hard to get a job Renee! Look at me! I'm working my ass off for us! Do you think the bills just pay themselves!? Why don't you make an effort to help if we're so fucking broke!?"

I was starting to hyperventilate with my face pressed into my musty sweaters and jackets that weren't needed in the Florida heat.

"Don't lie to me! I never told you that you wouldn't have to work!" He was getting more furious by the second. "Shit Renee! I'm not stupid!"

I heard a loud crash and a cloud of dust rolled out of the vent on my ceiling in a big cloud. "GET IT FIXED!!"

I heard three things simultaneously. The sound of the air conditioning unit crashing to the ground, the front door slamming loudly as Phil stormed from the house, and the heart breaking sound of my mothers' helpless cry.

I moved my body through the row of dense clothing and through the door to her faster than I thought possible. She was hunched over on her knees, her head in her hands, shoulders shaking terribly as sobs racked her small body. Her hair, which so closely resembled mine, fell stringy around her shoulders. The bruises that covered her arms only caused my heart to shatter even more.

I kneeled down next to her, my hands fluttering around her, looking for a safe place to hold her, as she had done to me when I had been just as broken. I settled for her shoulders. I took it as a good sign that she didn't scream and jump away.

"Mom," I whispered, afraid that the world would shatter like break-away glass if I spoke any louder. "Please..." I trailed off. I didn't know what to say. _Please say something. Please tell me what to do. Please help me. Please, mom. Do something._

But I didn't say anything. Instead I just held her closely to me as she wept.

I don't know how long we stayed like that. Until my legs turned numb, and my back and arms were so stiff it hurt to move even an inch. And she still sobbed. I watched the patch of sunlight streaming through the window until it made its slow treck across the room and up the opposite wall, then disappeared. I watched through the glass, and saw the morning birds come out, heard their songs, watched as mothers brought food to their babies. I flinched at the sound of a group of men laughing in the neighbors yard, and smelled the smoke coming from a grill. And still she sobbed. I watched as the moon joined the sun in the sky, and saw the morning birds replaced by night birds. Dusk fell, and I heard the hoot of an owl in the coming darkness. I heard mothers calling for their children to come inside, and the children as they protested, wanting to play just one more game. And finally, I heard silence. My mother had stopped crying.

"Mom." She jumped slightly at the sound of my voice. "What are we going to do?"

My hands fell away as she slowly sat up. She turned to me and I gasped when I saw her face. It was swollen, like mine but ten times worse, and was black and blue all over. Her I eyes were red and puffy, to the point that she could barely open them. She had tried to bandage a gash on the side of her head I hadn't seen before, but had done a poor job of it.

I was afraid to bring up taking her to a doctor, thinking she would react like she had the night before and lock herself away. I gently took her face in between my hands and whiped away a stray tear with my thumb. "Come on. Let's get you cleaned up." She looked so relieved at my words that my facade of calm almost came tumbling down.

We slowly made our way to the hall bathroom. My legs shook from the sudden flow of blood into them. They both hurt like hell, but just the thought of being able to feel my legs again made me euphoric. I lead Renee over to the toilet and set her down as I dug under the sink for a first aid fit. It was there, behind the stacks of cheap toilet paper, just like I knew it would be. Years of raising a clumsy child had trained Renee to be prepared for everything. _Almost everything, _I reminded myself.

I peeled the rag Renee had used for her head away. Dried blood caked the left side of her head, and the cloth was black with it. I almost vomited, but I somehow managed to hold it back. I pulled the big brown bottle of peroxide and a wad of swabs out of the clear case sitting on the counter. Her eyes widened as she saw what I was planning to do.

"It's okay mom," I reassured her. "It'll be over soon."

She nodded warily as I tilted the bottle onto the small patch of cotton. I took a deep breath, as if I was the one bracing myself for the stinging pain. She jumped as I gently touched it to the gash. I pulled back immediately and waited until she nodded again, giving her permission for me to go ahead. It took seven swabs to clean the gash thoroughly, and then five more to clean the rest of her face. I bandaged the side of her head carefully, all the time pushing back the urge to hurl. It took some convincing but I eventually got her into the tub, explaining that we were running out of cotton swabs and peroxide.

She jolted away at the scalding temperature of the water, and glared balefully at me when I forced her into the tub. I had to drain the water three times, and by the time I was satisfied that all of the dirt and grime was gone, the water had turned cold.

I dried her off with a ratty towel, and found a pair of shorts and a loose t-shirt for her to wear. We hobbled to the kitchen, me supporting most of her weight, and I forced her to eat a bowl of chicken noodle soup. While she stirred the soup and blew on it to cool it down, I brushed her hair, working out the knots and what she had once referred to as 'rat nests.'

Ten minutes later I was dragging her down the hall to her room, and laying her carefully on the bed. Her eyelids drooped, exhaustion finally taking over. Just as I was about to go back to my room and crash in my bed, she grabbed my hand. I looked at her quizzically as she stared up at me.

Renee reached out slowly, and gently caressed the side of my face, which I knew had formed a bruise by now. The sorrow in her eyes was so deep I had to turn away so she wouldn't see the tears that burned in my eyes.

"I love you, mom." There was no way to hide the unmistakable quiver in my voice. I leaned down quickly and kissed her lightly on the cheek. Then I left.

* * *

I laid in bed, staring at the impeccable ceiling above me. Renee had fallen asleep a while ago, and even though the clock on my nightstand read two a.m., I couldn't close my eyes. Something was bothering me, and no matter how hard I tried to focus and find out what it was, my mind strayed.

Something was missing. I knew that much. There was something I was forgetting. Something that was obvious, but it continued to evade me. I tossed and turned. I ended up on my stomach staring at a dead cockroach lying belly-up on the floor. I was too tired and annoyed at myself to get rid of it. Plus I didn't want to wake Renee up from my moving around.

I sighed and rolled over onto my back again, the dead insect depressing me. I spread my hands over my stomach. I could just imagine a tiny bump that hadn't been there before. I ran my hand over my stomach again. Maybe I wasn't imagining it. I lifted my shirt up and looked at my flat stomach. I squinted my eyes, and saw a very small bump where my belly button was. So small that I could have just been loosing it. My mind that is.

I let my head fall back and I felt something hard under my pillow.

"What the hell..." i whispered to myself, then trailed off when I pulled out the tiny silver cell phone Carlisle had given me. Then the answer popped into my head. What I had been missing this whole time. Alice.

Just as I thought her name the phone vibrated violently in my hand. I looked down, and sure enough, Alice's name flashed on the screen.

I quickly flipped it open and held the phone to my ear. I didn't get the chance to say anything before her pixie-like voice floated through the phone.

"It's about time you remembered me, Bella!" She giggled. "I was beginning to wonder where you had left your brain!"

"Alice," I whispered urgently. "There's something I need to tell you."

"I know," she interrupted me before I could go on. "I saw what he did. It's been hell keeping it away from Edward."

I was speechless for a moment. "What?" Why didn't she want Edward to know what had happened?

"Bella, listen. Edward can't know about this. If he finds out he'll come for you."

"But-"

"He can't Bella! Haven't you been listening to anything you've been told? We're having a little trouble here with the werewolves!"

"I understand that Alice. I just don't under-"

She cut me off again. "Look, Edward's coming so listen carefully Bella. If Edward were to find out what Phil tried to do to you, he would go strait to Florida without a second thought," she said in a rush. "If he does that, Jacob will kill him! Do you understand!?"

"Y-yes." My mind was blank. I couldn't believe what she was saying.

"Good. Now don't worry Bella. Phil's going to be out of town for a few weeks for baseball. We'll come up with a plan by then. Your safe where you are Bella, so please don't try to run away. I wouldn't want to have to risk my life just to drag your butt back to Florida." She chuckled humorlessly.

"I wouldn't want that either," I whispered.

"I love you like you were my own sister, Bella. Please, stay safe. I love you! I have to go! Bye!"

The dial tone buzzed unmercifully in my ear. I slowly closed the phone and stared up at the ceiling again.

I couldn't run. I couldn't hide. I couldn't even cry anymore. All there was to do was fall.

**Sorry if that last part was too short! I hurried to get it done. anyways...**

**I have had an epiphany! I have over 10,000 hits to this story but only like 153 reviews! What's up people!! Send me some love for crying out loud! lol**

**See ya!**


	15. SORRY!

ok here's the deal guys, I lost everything. and I mean everything...

i'm really really sorry. im gonna try to get everything up and running again but its gonna take a while.

really really sorry...


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